yahoo! sports: Tennis Fans Slam Wimbledon’s Influencer Influx With “Clown Show” Jibe
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yahoo! sports | 4 July 2026 | Prem Mehta
Wimbledon's Center Court has become as much a filming location as a sporting venue this fortnight, and fans are not happy about it. Event sponsors have hired dozens of influencers to cover the competition for their followers, and the tournament is increasingly being billed as "one big influencer event."
Some of the trends have been led by premium brands such as Rolex, Emirates, Swarovski, and Evian, which have invited creators with hundreds of thousands of followerrs to join them. Molly-Mae Hague told her 8.7 million Instagram followers she was there as an Evian guest, while Made in Chelsea's Ashley James, social media star Daisy Tomlinson and "corporate girl" influencer Jemima Grace have all featured prominently in Center Court content this year. The content often centered on Pimm's, strawberries and cream, and outfit shots rather than the tennis itself.
It's made even more frustrating to see how difficult it is to gain access for real fans. More than 10,000 people had arrived at the queue by 8:30am on a single day this week, prompting All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton to warn fans against even traveling.
